Ball Python Help!!!

[Snow Balls]

Last month on February 9th i picked up a beautiful hatchling pastave ball python. When i got her she was pretty skinny and still is fairly skinny so Ive been having her on a feeding schedule of f/t rat fuzzies every 4 days to get some size on her. Since i have had her she has always been breathing heavy, I'm sure due to the stress of a new home and she has finally calmed down with that 2 weeks later. The store i got her from was LLLReptile by my house and they said she had been feeding on live mouse hoppers but she took the rats with no issue. However every bowel movement she has seems to be diarrhea but she also tends to smear it around the tank so im not 100% sure its actually diarrhea because it is solid in some areas. If this continues i will have no choice but to take her to the vet. I have also read that when you feed them rats with no hair they tend to have runny stool. Can anyone tell me how true this is? Also, 9 days ago she regurged a rat 2 days after eating (that would have been her 3rd meal with me). I'm also pretty positive that was due to cold temps in her enclosure because my room gets cold at night. So to bring the temps up i installed a CHE and now have the cool side between 75-82 at all times and her hot side is at 90-94 (all measured with thermostats and the CHE is on a rheostat which i installed a day after she regurged). I will be giving her a mouse hopper tomorrow if she is done shedding (she was in blue on Friday 2/27 and i saw her pressing her nose up on stuff last night) and see if she regurges it or has runny stool still. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? This isn't my first ball, I bred them years ago and let my wife finally talk me into getting them again now I'm way to overprotective.

[Lord Sorril]

When i got her she was pretty skinny and still is fairly skinny

First off: Don't support sellers by buying a ball python that is not in good condition. Sometimes the prices are tempting--but, Vet visits can increase the cost significantly.

so Ive been having her on a feeding schedule of f/t rat fuzzies every 4 days to get some size on her.

I know some people will feed hatchlings every 5-7 days. I still prefer one appropriately sized food item once/week (7 days) to minimize the stress on the animal. Feeding more often may result in regurgitation by disrupting the snakes digestive system.

The store i got her from was LLLReptile by my house

Buying from LLLReptile can be risky if they did not produce the animal themselves and are reselling-it is a gamble regarding the health of the animal. I had bad luck buying captive bred frogs from them online (gut parasites).

However every bowel movement she has seems to be diarrhea but she also tends to smear it around the tank so im not 100% sure its actually diarrhea because it is solid in some areas. If this continues i will have no choice but to take her to the vet. I have also read that when you feed them rats with no hair they tend to have runny stool. Can anyone tell me how true this is?

I've heard that as well. You could try switching to rodents with hair instead?

i installed a CHE and now have the cool side between 75-82 at all times and her hot side is at 90-94 (all measured with thermostats and the CHE is on a rheostat which i installed a day after she regurged).

There is ambient and surface temps: 75 is a too low for ambient, and 94 is definitely too warm for a surface temp. A temp variation of 4 degrees is significant 90 vs. 94-the difference between 'toasty warm' and heat stroke. If you are using an on/off thermostat--dial it back a few degrees so temp does not exceed 90F.

Has anyone ever experienced anything like this?

If I get a regurgitation then usually I made a serious mistake or there is something drastically wrong with the setup. Loose stool can be from poor feeders e.g. that rodent with the huge tumor...yeah I will feed that off...I know what I can expect in a few days...

This isn't my first ball, I bred them years ago and let my wife finally talk me into getting them again now I'm way to overprotective.

Interesting.

[GoingPostal]

You need to wait several weeks before feeding again after a regurge. Get your heat sources stable, let her relax and heal and then offer a small meal. You aren't helping the snake by feeding too often, it's just putting constant stress on her system, it's much healthier and safer to simply feed normally. If she's eating, she'll put the weight on and no need to rush it. Do you have thermostats controlling the temps or thermometers that tell temp? Big difference and unclear from your post.

[Snow Balls]

I know some people will feed hatchlings every 5-7 days. I still prefer one appropriately sized food item once/week (7 days) to minimize the stress on the animal. Feeding more often may result in regurgitation by disrupting the snakes digestive system.

Okay ill put her on a 7 day schedule

I've heard that as well. You could try switching to rodents with hair instead?

I will be switching her back to mouse hoppers on her next feeding day to see if this resolves the issue

There is ambient and surface temps: 75 is a too low for ambient, and 94 is definitely too warm for a surface temp. A temp variation of 4 degrees is significant 90 vs. 94-the difference between 'toasty warm' and heat stroke. If you are using an on/off thermostat--dial it back a few degrees so temp does not exceed 90F.

Sorry for not clarifying, 75-82 was the ambient temp. I said 75 because the temp will drop this low at night (not very common but it does happen) and it will get up to 82 at times but most of the time it sits at 80 with no issue. Ill dial back my thermostat to 90 on the hot spot when i get home from work.

[Craiga 01453]

Okay ill put her on a 7 day schedule



I will be switching her back to mouse hoppers on her next feeding day to see if this resolves the issue



Sorry for not clarifying, 75-82 was the ambient temp. I said 75 because the temp will drop this low at night (not very common but it does happen) and it will get up to 82 at times but most of the time it sits at 80 with no issue. Ill dial back my thermostat to 90 on the hot spot when i get home from work.

Mouse hoppers are too small.

[Snow Balls]

Mouse hoppers are too small.

She regurged 9 days ago and is not even 2 months old. A hopper will be just fine until she can hold food down

[Craiga 01453]

She regurged 9 days ago and is not even 2 months old. A hopper will be just fine until she can hold food down

I apologise, I missed the regurge. In that case, yeah, hoppers are your best bet. But you'll want to upsize prey after a few meals stay down.

[Snow Balls]

I apologise, I missed the regurge. In that case, yeah, hoppers are your best bet. But you'll want to upsize prey after a few meals stay down.

How many meals should I keep her on hoppers for? I can’t feed her once and see if she keeps it down then go back up a size?

[Craiga 01453]

How many meals should I keep her on hoppers for? I can’t feed her once and see if she keeps it down then go back up a size?

If you wait 3 weeks between regurge and feeding again you'll probably be fine upsizing after the first meal she keeps down. To me, the difference of a few grams is minor when looking big picture, so I'd probably go with a hopper again for the second meal, but I tend to feed on the conservative side.

Others may have different advice, but that's what I would do. She'll start putting on some healthy weight once she's on more substantial prey. But it can't hurt to hear some other replies and trust your gut.

Good luck! Please keep us posted.

[Bogertophis]

After you wait at least 2 weeks now (so she can recover her digestive enzymes & won't likely regurge again) I would feed on the small size for the FIRST meal, just
to make sure...and only then, after that stays down (wait about 6-7 days), offer again -a hopper should be fine then & thereafter.